Quick answer: JJWL weight classes depend on your competition format and division. The published adult/master men’s limits are the same in gi and no-gi, but the women’s charts differ: women’s gi has eight classes, while the published no-gi chart has five. Gi competitors weigh in wearing the gi; no-gi competitors use their no-gi uniform. Choose your bracket using the weight you will record in that clothing, then confirm the options and instructions for your actual event.
Charts and official guidance checked October 5, 2026. This reference follows the official JJWL weight divisions page. It covers the weight-selection task; our JJWL rules guide explains points, match lengths and legal techniques.
Adult and masters men’s JJWL weight classes
JJWL publishes these limits for both adult and masters men in gi and no-gi. Weight class and age category are separate choices: the same weight label can appear within different age or belt divisions. Availability depends on the event registration options.
| Published class | Gi limit (lb) | No-gi limit (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Rooster | 130 and under | 130 and under |
| Light Feather | 141 and under | 141 and under |
| Feather | 154 and under | 154 and under |
| Light | 168 and under | 168 and under |
| Middle | 182 and under | 182 and under |
| Medium Heavy | 195 and under | 195 and under |
| Heavy | 208 and under | 208 and under |
| Super Heavy | 222 and under | 222 and under |
| Ultra Heavy | 223 and over | 223 and over |
The men’s lists match across the two formats, but your scale clothing changes. A weight taken without your gi does not establish that you will pass the gi weigh-in. Use the outfit required for the division when checking which listed limit fits.
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Women’s gi weight classes
| Published class | Gi limit (lb) |
|---|---|
| Rooster | 108 and under |
| Light Feather | 120 and under |
| Feather | 130 and under |
| Light | 142 and under |
| Middle | 154 and under |
| Middle Heavy | 165 and under |
| Heavy | 177 and under |
| Heavy Plus | 178 and up |
Women’s no-gi weight classes
| Published class | No-gi limit (lb) |
|---|---|
| Light Feather | 120 and under |
| Feather | 130 and under |
| Light | 142 and under |
| Middle | 154 and under |
| Heavy | 155 and up |
The no-gi chart is not the gi chart with the jacket removed. Its published top class starts at 155 lb, while the gi chart separates heavier competitors into additional categories. Read the correct format before selecting a familiar class name.
How to read the limits without rounding your weight
Each table preserves JJWL’s published upper-limit or open-ended wording. A row saying “168 and under” describes an upper limit; it does not say that anyone weighing less than 168 belongs in that class regardless of the lighter brackets.
For a hypothetical adult man entering a gi division, a recorded weight of 167 lb sits below the light limit of 168 lb and above the feather limit of 154 lb. The light option is the relevant listed bracket, subject to his event’s actual division choices. A weight of 170 lb would exceed the light limit before any separately confirmed event allowance.
Boundary warning: the public men’s chart ends one row at 222 lb and labels the open class “223 and over.” The women’s charts also use whole-pound open-class labels. Those labels alone do not resolve a fractional reading between adjacent endpoints. Do not round a scale reading down, invent a tolerance or silently rewrite the official chart. Confirm how your event handles the recorded boundary.
Youth divisions need the event’s actual bracket list
The public youth section describes weight groups that often use 10 lb increments, with some older groups using 15 lb increments. It does not provide one complete youth chart that applies to every age, belt and event. Treat the examples on that page as examples, rather than copying them into a universal children’s division table.
For a child or juvenile competitor, work through the registration choices in this order:
- Select the specific event and gi or no-gi competition.
- Check the eligible age group shown for that event.
- Select the appropriate belt or experience division.
- Read the available weight brackets and any open-ended top class.
- Check the child’s weight in the required competition clothing.
- Save the event’s correction deadline and weigh-in instructions.
A neighboring age group may offer different weight options. A bracket change also needs to follow the organizer’s process; a parent should not assume that moving between age, belt or weight categories is automatic.
What do you wear, and when do you weigh in?
The official FAQ requires gi clothing for gi competition and no-gi clothing for no-gi competition. The rulebook’s weigh-in section also identifies the no-gi uniform for no-gi divisions. Keep the formats separate when interpreting its general clothing language.
The FAQ advises arriving at least 90 minutes early and gives a weigh-in cutoff one hour before the first scheduled match unless a scheduled weigh-in class applies. The linked rulebook also says to weigh at least an hour before the first match. Your event’s scheduled weigh-in instructions remain essential.
Plan backward from the match time, rather than treating venue opening as your personal deadline. Registration, equipment checks and finding the correct mat also take time. If the organizer assigns your group a weighing session, follow that session.
Allowances, missed weight and division changes
The FAQ says that missing the registered weight class can lead to disqualification. It also contains inconsistent change-deadline statements. For that reason, this guide does not publish a single universal correction deadline. Check your event listing and account’s change window before relying on a general FAQ sentence.
Similarly, this reference does not add an assumed allowance to every table. An allowance mentioned for a particular event or format is not proof that all JJWL tournaments use it. Match any published tolerance to your own event, age category and gi/no-gi format.
Use a simple registration record: event name, competition format, age/belt category, selected weight limit, required scale clothing, confirmed allowance if any, and the deadline shown in your account. Keeping those details together is more reliable than remembering only “lightweight.”
JJWL limits are not interchangeable with other tournaments
Class names such as feather, light and middle are labels, not a shared measurement system. An athlete who selects one class at JJWL should recheck the numbers for an IBJJF or NAGA event. Clothing and weigh-in policies can also differ.
Compare the actual limit in our IBJJF weight-class reference or NAGA divisions guide. Start from the organizer and format each time, even when the bracket name sounds familiar.
JJWL weight-class FAQs
Are the men’s gi and no-gi weight limits the same?
Yes. The checked public JJWL chart lists the same adult/master men’s limits in gi and no-gi. Required scale clothing differs, and event availability still needs checking.
Are the women’s gi and no-gi charts the same?
No. The public women’s gi chart has eight classes; the no-gi chart has five. Use the chart for your registered format.
Is there one JJWL youth weight chart for every event?
The public page gives examples of youth increments rather than a complete universal chart. Read the options for the competitor’s age, belt and format in the specific event registration.
Can I assume a weight allowance?
No. Confirm any allowance in the instructions for your event and division before adding it to a listed limit.
What is the deadline to change my division?
Use the deadline displayed for your event and account. The general FAQ contains conflicting deadline statements, so this guide does not treat one of them as a universal rule.
Official sources and chart scope
- JJWL weight divisions: adult/master men’s gi and no-gi charts, separate women’s charts, youth grouping guidance.
- JJWL FAQ: clothing, timing, missed weight and conflicting change-deadline language.
- JJWL linked rulebook: weigh-in section. Its printed youth birth years should not be reused as current event eligibility.
